Fire Sprite No 5
by rougescribe
Summary: For him, Heaven wasn't a place or a single moment in time. It was a feeling built on memories upon memories, past and present and a hope for future ones all tied down together. All sharing one common denominator: Her. Nalu. Tumblr Valentine's Event.


Written Back in February. For the Tumblr Nalu Event for Valentines Day. (Hosted by the "Fortheloveofnaluevents" blog.) I meant to post this a week after it appeared on tumblr, and absolutely FORGOT. So- here it is now, before I forget again!A Short lil' Nalu One Shot for Valentine's Day- ... 6 months late.

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Nalu valentines Event  
Theme: heaven

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_For him, Heaven wasn't a place or a single moment in time. It was a feeling built on memories upon memories, past and present and a hope for future ones all tied down together. All sharing one common denominator:_

_'Her.'_

_._

It was the most ridiculous looking hat she had ever seen. The fact it had miraculously sustained all the red-gold glitter upon its felt layers only added to Lucy's bemusement. Just what was this atrocious prop doing in her attic? Tucked away in an old trunk that looked close to bursting at the hinges, she couldn't even bring herself to be agitated. Of course she knew who that chest belonged to.

"I said I would clear it all out-" the culprit, and her husband, spoke from the entrance, head poking out above the hole in the floorboards as he balanced on their rickety ladder. Her responding snort only made his voice grow higher pitched, near whining, "- I mean it! I really was gonna!"

He almost sounded like their daughter, who was visiting her Grandpa Igneel that day. This only made Lucy repeat the action, though it was joined with amused giggles.

"And let me guess," She needled him, gaze turning to meet the man as he pulled himself completely up, grunting as muscles bunched under his own weight. "When you were done clearing everything, this ugly thing would still be tucked away in your hidden treasure box, wouldn't it?"

Exhaling, he shuffled his way to her, brows furrowed as he pouted. When he reached her side, he surveyed the offending accessory with reverence before taking it from her, twirling it within his fingers (and sending glitter everywhere) before dropping it atop his head with much aplomb. Lucy's giggles increased while he waggled his eyebrows at her. The hat flopped above his head, what once had been a gigantic representation of a flame looked more faded and droopy than her dog's ears.

Natsu, ignoring the way the reds and yellows clashed with his pink hair, chuckled, tilting his head this way and that to make more glitter fall. She'd have to sweep later. Or make him do it. "C'mon, it's not THAT bad, of course I'd want to keep it!"

"Natsu, I don't even know how that thing hasn't fallen apart yet, there is no WAY you're keeping it." She wouldn't give in on this, not one inch and she made the point clear while brushing glitter off her own shoulders, huffing when he backed away at her attempt to swipe the hat back from him. "Give me ONE good reason why you should keep that old thing other than the fact you're ridiculously proud of your fourth grade creation abilities?"

"Oi, I was in college when I made that-" He defended. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I was there. I remember vividly the look on Professor Dreyar's face the day you walked in with that thing, claiming you'd be the BEST Fire Sprite there ever was."

"And wasn't I?"

She paused then, giving it some thought before her lips curled into a sinister smirk. "You were certainly the best at making a mess, that's for sure."

"Luuuucy- !" Whining, Natsu slung an arm over Lucy's shoulder, brandishing his golden glitter in all directions, "Don't be so mean!"

Her squawks of indignation echoed through the attic even as the two laughed, practically wrestling with the other to either reclaim the messy hat or secure it in place. As if they were children all over again. Lucy was adamant that the hat would be thrown away, among so many other things they had to clear out, but that didn't stop the memories from flooding her senses as he danced around her stubborn fingers, cackling as it the accessory flip-flopped to his every movement.

The best Fire Sprite there ever was? Oh, she remembered those days with a clarity many would envy. Her days in community college had just been to pass the time while she danced between degrees, who would have thought the Drama Club would have lead her to meet the very man she called husband?

It had been a small play with only a small group of eight running it. Lucy and her friend Loke had already been secured as the lead parts and desperately practiced their lines together in and out of the club meetings held once a week. The blonde had been excited, not only did she get a break from the constant stress caused by homework- she was able to act and dress as a princess to boot! While her friend Loke, felt it the perfect opportunity to practice his best pick-up lines.

"Loke- take this seriously, the Prince isn't going to be walking onto the stage asking the Princess if she comes to a war often, that's not even in the script!"

Flicking his hair back, her bespectacled friend smirked devilishly- a smirk Lucy knew all too well to be a lady killer. "I'm ad-libbing, I think it brings more to the table, don't you?" With a flourish, the man fell to his knees, one hand grasping her own as he stared imploringly into her eyes. The act was solid, exactly why he'd been picked for the lead, and Lucy couldn't stop the blossom of pink that settled on her cheeks. "Please, allow the Prince his courtesy to woo the most gorgeous woman he's ever been blessed to see?"

She was used to these shenanigans. Loke was a ladies man and he always had been. Nevertheless, she still giggled, as her head shook in exasperation. She had spent a lot of time on that script, proud that it had been chosen to be used instead of an already well-known Play, but his ad-libbing certainly had to go! - but before she could say as much, withdrawing her hand from his his- the moment had been interrupted in the most unexpected of ways.

Professor Dreyar, or Makarov, was the main reason the Drama Club managed to stay alive. He had been helping four background actors (who were playing as Fire Sprites) synchronize their movements, when the doors to the auditorium swung open with a loud bang and a man with the messiest of hair walked through as if he'd always been there. Lucy recognized him immediately as a boy she shared Speech Class with.

"..huh.. Is that-?" She couldn't quite remember the name, despite hearing it said at least six times during class. He often acted out during his speeches, making up the most absurd of statements while garnering many rolled eyes from his peers. (Including herself-) - but his recent "Award Speech" he had concocted had pulled forth many a laugh. (Thanking the Evil League of Evil for his Advancement in life certainly raised a few eyebrows.)

Still, his name escaped her- right up until he walked passed Loke and herself waving with such exuberance, he resembled a puppy wagging its entire body. "Hiya, Lucy!"

"Err, Hi… Natsu?" She replied, his identity striking her while bewilderment settled in. The boy in question had continued on his path, walking right up to Makarov and grasping a copy of the script to peruse through.

It was absurd. Absolutely unheard of. He wasn't even part of the Drama club and while Professor Dreyar questioned him, Lucy felt curiosity settle in. It had been easy enough to overlook the male in class, but her gaze held fast, as if trying to solve the mysteries of the universe. The current mystery being his proximity to her favorite extracurricular activity.

"So, you know him?" Loke asked, shifting to stand beside her as he re-adjusted his vest. Lucy shrugged.

"Kind of? He's basically a class clown from what I know of him." And that was the truth, but neither she nor her stage partner could have been prepared for what happened next. Professor Dreyar, head nodding before she shrugged and trudged off towards the other members, appeared exasperated while the Pink-Haired menace Lucy barely knew, whooped in his seat.

"Heck yeah- so you'll let me be part of this? Hah! Awesome!"

She blanched, stunned. "Wait- what did he just say?!"

It was the start of the strangest stage practice Lucy had ever been part of.

Natsu always came in late, and his acting was atrocious. Lucy have had any delusions towards acting out something that would rival a Broadway Musical, but she definitely hadn't expected one of the 'sudden' actors to have the skill to represent a third grader. At first, it annoyed her- and others. But by the third week, his outspoken, overzealous movements and dramatic poses pulled laughter from anyone who watched.

Even Professor Dreyar, who often had to put him back in line and focus during times of practice. Often, they butted heads over the simplest of things. Lucy and Loke were dragged into these arguments any day they chose to practice in the auditorium with the others.

"I still think I need more lines! This dude hardly says nothin'!" Natsu complained one day, earning himself many an eye roll from the others. Makarov seemed to have fallen into a state of constant exhaustion any time he had to work with him.

"Listen here," He began, snapping his fingers when Natsu's gaze tilted to the ceiling, "Ah-ah- look at me, and listen. Actually listen." Once it seemed his attention had finally been properly focused, Makarov continued. "We only had four sprites in the script. Just. Four. Your fifth sprite technically didn't exist until I allowed you to join the club-"

"And we still don't know why you did." Loke interject, but was quickly silenced by a short jab of Lucy's elbow. Winking, he laughed apologetically for interrupting and tried to look back into his own script. .

Once he was sure there would be no further interruption, Professor Dreyar continued. "As you can see, adding in a completely new character to an already written script would make it very difficult to add in lines. You'll just have to move on and accept it: or…"

"Or, you can have Lucy write in more for me!" The excitement Natsu exuded sent the elder teacher into a state of blank staring, but it finally pulled the blonde into the discussion.

"Wha- why me?! Do you have any idea how hard it was to write that in the first place!" She interjected, stepping forward with a well-placed thud of her foot, hands on her hips as she glowered. Was he SERIOUSLY wanting to make her do more work just so he could have more attention?!

His onyx gaze, once excitedly gleaming towards the Professor, turned to stare at her instead: sharp and intense. Despite her ire, Lucy felt her heart clench in a way she didn't recognize. Grin turned to a confident smirk and he chuckled. "Well, duh- you wrote it, who else would be smart enough to know just how to add extra lines to it? Anyone else would mess it all up, don't you think?"

It was hard to hide the fact just how much his words complimented her that day. Practically glowing, her own, appreciative grin spread over her face before Lucy could even stop it. Someone else would ruin it huh?

"Really, if it was gonna be done, you'd be the ONLY one who could do it right."

That was the final nail in the coffin. Three days later- a new script was posted, with a few extra lines specially made for him. Loke was absolutely mystified. As was the rest of the club. Lucy couldn't find it in herself to even explain and she didn't want to. Day after day, hour after hour- practice came and went and slowly the stage was formed,and the costumes settled- everyone knew their months of practice would come together for only one night, before ending with the final week of the semester.

Almost a bittersweet ending, but Lucy enjoyed it- even with the interruptions Natsu caused.

"Oi- where's Loke?" He had come to her one day in the student center, staring at her script with a frown. Despite all her practice, Lucy still didn't feel quite ready and had been putting extra time into her role even outside of Club Meetings. It was starting to show in the way she yawned and sluggishly dragged herself to class.

"On a date- maybe." She answered, by now used to Natsu's sudden appearances, her head rolled to the side, facing him as an amused snort escaped her. "You're.. Still wearing the hat?"

The costumes had been fitted that day. Every fire sprite had been given small felt hats to resemble tiny flames that glittered on their heads. Of course, Natsu hadn't been at all happy with his and had run off to who knew where for a few hours. His return had been met with Makarov face palming and shouting to the ceiling rafters in consternation. Not only had Natsu redesigned the hat with sequins, extra glitter and felt: he had also increased the height by a foot and refused to change it.

"Course I am! I gotta show off my creation!" He proudly stated, taking a seat beside her with eyes gleaming. A soft giggle escaped and she yawned again, resting her face into her hands with a tired sigh. "Oi, are you- feeling alright? You're not upset Mr. Fancy Pants is off with some other girl are you?"

"No, not that- " She was still reliving the shouts Professor Dreyar had given him that day, exclaiming over the ridiculous hat that rained down gold and red even as Natsu sat still, brows knitted together in concern. It was strange.. Seeing a boy usually so alive with smiles and mischief, look at her like that. It made that strange feeling bubble into her chest again- cheeks turning a faint red. "He was supposed to help me practice today, but instead blew me off to tutor his friend, Aries. I mean, it's not that big a deal, we practice all the time, but I just- … I don't think I'm getting the emotions right at all, you know?"

Before she knew it, Lucy was unloading all her worries upon this boy she hardly knew, and surprisingly, he sat there, attention all on her: and he listened, expression serious and ready to hear all she had to say.

"It's such a cliche story, you know?" Lucy told him, gnawing on her bottom lip, "The Princess and Prince fall in love and with the help of small fairies, they're finally able to get together. It's seriously a story that should be told to elementary students, not- college kids, but I've never even DATED someone before. So how do I know if I'm getting the emotions right? Loke offered to take me on a date to help me gain the experience but… I don't feel comfortable doing things with ulterior motives? It's not like he and I are actually together after all, but just-..."

"I don't know. Am I good enough?"

Her question hung in the air and she truly didn't expect an answer. It was relieving enough just to throw all her worries into the air instead of keeping them bottled up inside her chest. The slightly shift in Natsu's body caused some of the gold, plastic wrapping on his hair to bend over, but he made no attempt to correct. Instead, he reached across the table and did something that made Lucy's entire stomach turn flips.

He took her hand, squeezing it gently. "You know, I actually don't really see the whole point in plays- or love stories." Brown eyes widened and she gaped at him. This? THIS was his reply to her?!

"- then why are you-"

Natsu held his hand up, silencing her question as he smiled softly, expression warm and and confusing. "I like being all dramatic, it's fun to get a laugh- and you laugh a lot you know? I like that. It's one of my favorite things actually-" She didn't even have the CHANCE To question that, cheeks turning red- matching his own in fact-, but he continued on. "And I've had more fun with this so-called kids play than I have with hanging out at the arcade or just bein' bored at home or other stuff."

Another squeeze and he realized her hand to tilt her chin up instead, showing his teeth as he smiled. "I may not get romance. But I LIKE fairy tales. Always have. They're fun and always end happy, don't they? You wrote an awesome, happy story that can make so many people smile AND you're getting an entire club to act it out! That's awesome. Amazing actually! I totally look up to that. You say you're worried about not acting right? Who cares? Are ya' having fun?"

When he finally pulled away, she almost missed the contact, eyes widening when he left his chair, patting the back of her head as he went. "If you're having fun- that'll pass on to everyone else, and they'll have fun too. Isn't that what this whole thing is really about? So come on, Lucy, let's have a break. You're stressing out too much!"

She almost said no. There was homework to do, she needed more practice. She couldn't just be irresponsible and put everything on the back burner. - but she was tired. So tired, and the thought of putting everything aside for just a few hours…. Didn't sound like such a bad idea. Lucy gathered her things, and followed him.

The blonde didn't know it then, but that was the day she stopped seeing Natsu as just a goofy, class clown. He became something… just a bit more.

"Oi, Loke, you're doin' it wrong!"

"I think I know very well how to do my lines, Natsu - go back to acting like fire!"

"Pfft, I don't need to act, I'm already fired up!"

Some days, he even tried to act out the parts of the Prince- under some impression that he needed to show Loke up. By the end of it, Lucy often was thrown into a fit of flustered giggles. (Either from how bad he was at the acting, or just the way the words fell off his tongue as if he'd been speaking them into her ears for years.)

"Natsu! Get your butt back in line, you're NOT a main character!"

"- but, gramps, it's so BORING hanging out in the back with the other sprites!"

"I don't care. Stay in line and quit calling me gramps!"

"Psssh, you're no fun!"

Others, he talked back to Professor Dreyar as if they were truly related. The back and forth slowed the Club down as well as filled them with laughter. On and on, his many antics and strange notions pulled the play forward until it all came together- the final weeks moving so fast, Lucy felt as if her own feet had been swept out from beneath her. The crowd for the play had been small- not many had seen the fliers for it, but it had been enough- and though many things went wrong (a few props broke during production, the stage hands had issues with the lights… Lucy's own dress tore along the side from the corner of desk-) , she felt she'd had more fun that semester than she had in years.

She couldn't deny who was the cause of that- even if she kept it to herself, twirling about on stage, under the lights as Loke's Prince Persona sang to her praises and wooed his princess under Starlight and Dancing fire sprites.

"Tch- laaaaame-" She even pretended NOT to hear a particular, loud, Fire Sprite, mutter the insult beneath his breath; though it was partially to blame for the wide smile she brandished during her act. Loke, playing the part, cleared his throat - casting the smallest of glares in Natsu's direction- continued on.

By the time the lights dimmed, the stage had been covered in the left over that was Natsu's atrocious hat and among them all, he bowed the most exuberant, smiling widely the entire time.

Lucy felt strangely empty once the Play was over- a sudden sense of 'what happens next' falling upon her even before the curtain fell. The Semester would end, her extracurricular would change, but what next-? The answer came to her before the night was over, with the swift hands of Natsu, grasping her wrist to drag her off to the outdoor patio of the school auditorium.

He had almost seemed nervous in contrast to his poor acting that evening, but the mischief in his eyes never faltered.

"So… Lucy- I've been thinking…"

"... Yes?" She had waited for a response, almost impatiently. Rather than stand out in the cold, they could have been celebrating the Play's success inside and with everyone else, why pull her away?

Natsu merely scratched the back of his neck, a rain of glitter falling down in the process before he chuckled. "Sorry, not used to this kinda thing, so I'm a bit nervous." He cleared his throat and took her hand, fingers rough around hers, but far more gentle than he often showed about the club. "I just- uhh, what was the line… "

Lucy's heart sped up for a moment, but her confusion won out over the fantasies that danced about her head. "What's to be nervous about? Am I REALLY that scary?"

"You are the SCARIEST person, I know- and that's saying something." He answered without a second thought. Lucy squawked and tried to remove her hand, but his grip tightened while an apologetic smile revealed the tips of his teeth. "It ain't a bad thing! You're just- .. ah, that was the line-!"

Sliding to his knees, mimicking the very pose she had seen Loke in not three hours before, the crazy goofball of Speech class eyed her with a heat in his eyes that made her stomach twist up in knots. "I'm not what you expected, sweet Princess, but I hoped my heart and all things I hold dear would be enough to prove my feelings true…"

The knot tightened, his voice a low rasp, thumb lightly brushing along the top of her skin as his gaze turned to an imploring desperation. "The script was great and I may have learned more of Loke's lines than I should have, but- … it's true. I'm some guy that makes ya' laugh in Speech and makes a mess outta everything, but… can I keep making messes with you?"

What felt like an eternity was really only seconds, before peels of laughter escaped and Lucy pulled him back to his feet, face a shining red, buried into his chest while her shoulders shook. "Are.. are you having me on? Did you REALLY just say that? That was so-"

"Cheesy, right?" He finished for her, grinning. His hands met her shoulders to square her face to face to him, the floppiness of his horrid hat just barely blocking his gaze for a few seconds. "I meant it though. You're amazing and I wanna keep on seeing ya' around. Can I?"

"I can't tell if you're seriously asking me out or if this is the strangest way to ask me to be your friend." She admitted, covering her red cheeks with her hand when the realization hit her just how much she wished his intentions to be the former.

Pulling her closer, Natsu's own face turned red as he pressed his mouth against the shell of her ear. "... Whatever ya' want, I'll take it."

It hadn't been the way Lucy imagined gaining herself a boyfriend, or a future husband, but years later, wrestling with him on the attic floor, she couldn't have asked for a better life. He continued to dance away from her, laughter suffusing his very movement while the remaining glitter of an old, dusty hat, covered their hands, hair and clothes. Eventually, Lucy gave up, tired from exertion as she fell into his arms, both laying against the floor in a pile of laughter.

Years later, and they never did quit being kids when around the other. Natsu never failed to make her laugh. Chuckling, he brushed a few strands of hair from her face, leaning up to press his forehead against hers. "You got distracted for a bit there, something on your mind?"

Taking in deep breaths, the blonde giggled once more before flicking the ends of the hat off his head, triumphantly grinning when he pouted. "Just remembered when you first asked me out."

"H-hey! I wasn't done wearing that!" He whined, but her husband made no move to grab the fallen object, choosing instead, to brush his lips against her nose. "I thought you were gonna call me crazy and tell me to never talk with ya' again when I did that."

Lucy snorted, eyeing him curiously, "You seriously thought that? And here I thought you knew me."

"Not back then I didn't!" He exclaimed, biting his lip with a low, pitiful whine. "Seriously, Lucy, I worked hard to get you to notice me!"

It was those words that made the laughter die off, Lucy's eyes widened as she stared, nonplussed. "What do you mean?"

At first, she feared he wouldn't answer her. Sitting them up, her husband stared at the ring on his finger for some time before reaching for her own, smile forming at fond memories. A few sparkles of glitter caught her eye, right on the tip of his nose, but she resisted the urge to brush them off when he finally took in a deep breath, hand moving to take hers, twining fingers together as he kept her close.

"You just snorted and rolled your eyes at me in Speech, you know?" He began, voice low as he reminisced. "Well, everyone did, so that wasn't new, but… you- you also laughed. And it was one of the best things I ever heard…and I knew I wanted to make ya' laugh for the rest of my life if I could."

Heat swarmed over her face as she recoiled, slightly in surprise. "You what-"

"So I overheard Loke bragging about being in some play with ya' and I kinda threw myself in on purpose." He admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I figured, even if I was bad at it, if it was something YOU enjoyed then it had to be fun, right? That and I was able to get closer to ya and you- .. you finally SAW me. Even with the dumb hat."

She had no words. There was none that could be said over such a revelation. All that time, the man she fell in love with had planned getting her attention from the very beginning. It had worked. How could it not have? Every memory formed between them since those days had been a conglomeration of events that lead to more reasons to smile. Even her own children felt the times he made her laugh were too mushy to look at.

Which usually made Natsu goof off even more, if only to disgust his own kids and laugh at them. Laughter played a big part in their day to day lives. Sighing, she felt fond heat build up in her chest, well aware of the feelings she held now compared to so long ago. Rather than respond in words, she slide her mouth over his, chaste kiss to say what words failed to.

She was happy. Grateful even. The days he had moved himself into her life had been the start of her finding her own version of a happily ever after. Grunting, his arm moved around her hips, pulled her closer against him until her legs straddled his hips. Their conjoined mouths turned to heated passion as he nipped the skin of her lips and sighed.

"... every single moment has been like heaven, you know?" He admitted, rasping as their mouths finally parted and she nodded her head. She remembered him saying something similar on their wedding day. Memories upon memories, forming together for the past and present- "This right here. This is what heaven feels like?"

"Yes…" She answered, fingers moving to tangle into his hair while they sought out another kiss, and then another, until the only sounds left in the room were their soft caresses, confessions and slight giggles as they held each other on the floor.

Well, all except one, final question:

"... so I get to keep the hat right?"

**For more Stories/Requests or Early updates, follow me on tumblr at Rougescribe!**


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